Improvement in treadles for sewing-machines



" GEORGELQWWDEN..

Improvement in Treadles for Sewing-Machines.

No.126,889`. Patenfedmay211872.

"` gi/ZI means of the treadles T T'.

UNTTED STATES PATENT QFEroE.

GEORGE LOWDEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREADLES FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,889, dated May 21, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LowDEN, of

the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Mode of Op- `erating Sewing-Machines;` and I hereby dey upper parts having been removed in prder to show more clearly the individual parts of my invention, which are arranged upon the driving-shaft S of the machine. A and A' are two arms, which are secured to and vibrate with the treadle-bar N when operated by the treadles T T'. The arm A stands at about ninety degrees, having its tapering top end attached to the end of the band O, which passes one or more times around the larger drum D upon the left-hand end ofthe shaft S, which is also provided with a grooved band-wheel, B, which operates the needle-bar upon the top of the table. F is a vertical section of an ordinary fly-wheel, which may be placed at any suitable locality upon the drivin g-shaft S, or dispensed with altogether, if preferred. The short arm A' is eleva-ted at an angle of about fifteen degrees, with its tapering point fastened to the end of belt or band O' that is secured to and passes one or more times around the outer periphery of the smaller drum D' upon the righthand end of the driving-shaft S. The drums D D' are secured to the reels or smaller drums, upon which the flat-wound springs W W are secured to communicate motion to the drums D D', the vibrating bars A A', and bands O O', when operated by the treadlebar N by The loose ends of springs W W' are held in position by means of pins U U passing through the frame f.

Fig. 2 is a vert-ical end view of a section of the drum D', cut through the center thereof in order to show the ratchet R secured upon the shaft S, so that the same will be operated by thepawl P, which is secured upon a pin riveted or screwed into one of the heads or vertical side of the drum D', which oscillates freely with the spring-reel W upon the shaft S by the movement ofthe arm A', which causes the band O to operate the drum` D', so that the pawl P will operate the ratchet R and shaft S. When the arms A and A stand in the position shown in dotted lines at a a', the pawl P will also be dropped in the position shown in dotted lines atP'. The larger cylinder D is shown in this figure by a single circle. This drum is also operated around the shaft S and provided with a ratchet and pawl similar to D'. The wound springs W W' are operated alternately to prevent the band O from getting too slack, as well as assisting the operator to work the `treadlebar N, by alternately drawing back the arms A A' as it (the spring) in each drum unwinds after the pawl P is set free or dropped down upon the bottom side of the drum "5 and when the spring W is relaxed the spring YV' is at its greatest tension 5 hence the machine cannot be stopped upon a dead-center, and the use of the crankmotion is dispensed with to operate the shaft S by the alternate pressure of the heel and toe upon the treadles T T', by which means the armsV A and A' put the drums and flat-wound springs in motion.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of one-half` of the drum D, showing the construction of the ratchet R, which is made in three sections screwed or bolted together. The middle section Lv may be either leather, hardened rubber, or Wood covered with rubber or any other nonconductor of sound; and this section L projects beyond the metallic side plates R R, so that the pawl P strikes the rubber or leather first as it falls into the position shown at P, Fig. 2. W is a vertical section of the wound spring and reel, which is bolted to the side of drum D, so that the drum must oscillate by the action of the spring as well as by the band O operated by the arm A, Fig. 1.

The advantages of my invention over the present mode of operating sewing-machines are, first, I dispense with the crank-movement usually employed to convert the vertical into rotary motion by the action of the feet upon the treadles; secondly, I give a more uniform easy movement to the working parts of the machine by the application of rtwo oscillating drums of different diameters, with ratchets It and pawls P, all arranged upon the main shaft S, and operated by the wound springs W, in conjunction with the bands O and vibrating arms A alternately operated by the heel and toe ofthe operator upon the treadles T T upon the bar N.

The novelty of my invention is conned to the application and arrangement of the several oscillating devices upon the main shaft and treadle-bar ot' a sewing-machine, consisting of two drums, D D', of different diameters, with pawls P P and at-Wound springs W W/ upon reels, (forming al part thereof`,) in combination with the ratchets It secured upon and revolv in g with the shaft S inside of said drums, to be operated by the bands O O', arms A A', treadle T T on bar N; therefore,

AWhat I claim as my new and useful improvement, and wish to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The oscillating drums D D. with wound springs W W and pawls P P, forming a part thereof, to alternately operate the ratchets R R, which are secured to the shaft S, in combination with the arms A A', ilexible belts O O', treadles T T', and bar N, all arranged and operating in the manner substantially as above set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name in the presence of two witnesses.

. GEORGE LOWDEN.

Wftnesses:

J. P. MCLEAN, J. RITCHIE MCLEAN. 

